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Ways We Use Water
Fourth graders write a persuasive paper after a demonstration about the properties of water and how they work. The lesson also uses a mind map to outline the paper.
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Come to Mommy
Fourth graders participate in a simple experiment to illustrate the concept of mother bats identifying their young. They sniff stickers in order to imitate the behavior of mother bats in the wild.
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A Guided Journey Into the Past
Fourth graders use guided imagery to discover and judge an alternative way to enjoy artifacts without removing them from archaeological sites.
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Indoor Air: What's the Matter?
Learners develop a greater awareness of the variety and amount of particulate matter in the air. They try to locate general sources of pollution for a specific area and develop some suggestions for improving air quality.
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The Magic School Bus Goes Upstream
Learners participate in an experiment that shows them how to use their senses to find their way "home." This experiment is based on the video that shows how salmon find their way to their home stream.
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Seltzer Breath
High schoolers investigate "indicator" (Bromothymol Blue or BTB) to test for the presence of certain chemicals in liquids and gases. They compare distilled water and seltzer water for presence of carbon dioxide.
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Soak It Up
Pupils examine the various materials that make up their local soils. In groups, they record how each material is different and use cheesecloth to filter them into a bottle based on particle size. They use the soils to determine if...
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Remember the Egg!
Students investigate how to see, describe and draw faint or subtle features on an object which is thought of by most people as having a smooth, featureless surface. The exercise is important to reinforce skills in making observations...
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READY, SET, PLANT
Students identify the basic steps a gardener takes in planting seeds. Students identify the many uses of tomatoes. Students examine the seeds and try to identify them. Students place their plants in a sunny window and water them when...
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Classroom Composting
Students observe and describe the cyclic nature of life. They identify and appreciate the importance of a balanced ecosystem. Finally, students compare and contrast biodegradable and non-biodegradable resources in nature and describe the...
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Chemical Reaction of Carbonate Rocks and Acids
Pupils complete an investigation into the chemical reaction that occurs between carbonate rocks and acids. Working in groups, students design and conduct their investigation. They create a data table detailing their results. Results...
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Chemistry: Plastic Milk
Students observe a basic chemical reaction as vinegar is mixed with skim milk and microwaved. First, they listen to the teacher read, "Little Miss Muffet," and discover the meaning of curds and whey. While the experiment have an...
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Sheep Heart Dissection
In this dissection worksheet, students identify as many structures as they can while dissecting a sheep heart. This worksheet has 23 matching and 12 short answer questions.
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Tree Encounters of the Close Kind
Learners write an imaginative paragraph from the perspective of a tree. In this environmental awareness lesson, students observe a tree and brainstorm a list of adjectives to describe their tree. Using this list, learners write an...
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Introduction to Density
Seventh graders define density in their own words. In this physics lesson, 7th graders solve density problems using its mathematical formula. They explain why some objects flow and some sink.
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Environment
Fifth graders receive a general overview of the world's environmental dilemmas thereby understanding the global implications of their actions. They examine their connection to the ecosystem by looking at the influence of the environment...
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Making Sense of Things: The Human Body and Senses
Students conduct an experiment to evaluate the accuracy of their senses.
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Finding and Measuring What You Can't See
Students determine how scientists measure pollutants in food and the environment. Students discover how scientists remove one material based on its physical properties. Students figure out how much of a pollutant is present after...
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Why Should We Clean The Beach?
Students volunteer for the International Coastal Cleanup. They describe the purpose of the Lake Michigan Foundation and a history of the dunes. They reflect on their experiences with writing.
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Animals Abound Pre/Post Assessment
Students prepare for or evaluate their experiences in learning about animal persistence. This is part of a multi-segmented unit on animal living, adaptation, and survival.
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Field Trip to San Bruno
Students contrast a weedy annual grassland of introduced species with an undisturbed, ancient plant community of native bunchgrasses and wildflowers.
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Autumn
Students examine the cycle of nutrients in a forest. They research the concepts of decomposing and recycling within a forest.
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Comparing Apples and Oranges
Fifth graders, in groups, examine different types of apples and how they are different. They also taste the differences of each apple. They use this instructional activity to explore how to make observations.
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Water Quality
In this unit of lessons, middle schoolers examine the quality of water. They create poems and make observations about the quality of water. They also examine hot spots and the quality of water in the Great Lakes.